This invention relates to a food mixer of the type having a container with a side wall and a bottom, a mixing screw rotating about an axis extending essentially perpendicular to the bottom, and with a support surface assigned to the mixing screw that strokes over the bottom with a leading edge and from which a flow guiding body projects upwards.
Such a food mixer is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,416. The known food mixer is designed as food mixing vehicle and comprises a container with a mixing screw disposed therein and rotated about an essentially vertical axis. The diameter of the mixing screw is over the mainly axial height essentially smaller than the diameter of the bottom and, the mixing screw is provided with cutter elements at its periphery. Only the first channel of the mixing screw above the bottom is extremely broadened following the leading edge of the mixing screw, so that the leading edge and about a quarter of the complete angular separation of the first channel of the screw strokes over the complete bottom. The region behind the leading edge is thus designed as collection plate onto which the food guided upwards and discharged at the top by the mixing screw will fall and can be thrown off. On this collection plate, a flow guiding body is arranged which contains a guiding surface inclined backwards in the direction of the axis of revolution, of which the base edge extending on the collection plate includes an acute angle with the leading edge and extends essentially into the same direction as the leading edge, wherein the radially outer area of the guiding surface is leading in the sense of rotation with respect to the radially inner area of the guiding surface. The purpose of this guiding surface is to guide the food towards the mixing screw to facilitate mixing.
Mixing containers, in particular the food mixing vehicles discussed herein, comprise a discharge opening disposed near the bottom through which the material must be pressed out of the mixing container. For optimally mixing the food, however, an operating mode of the mixing screw where the food collecting at the bottom is taken up by the leading edge and transported upwards by the mixing screw proved to be convenient. At the upper area of the mixing screw, the food is released and falls down again towards the bottom. Thereby, a downward flow is formed near the container walls and thereby also above the door. This downward flow must be interrupted by the discharged material to ensure the discharge of the material. This is often not easy, in particular in case of very dry, long-fiber feeding stuff, as for example hay.
The object underlying the invention therefore is to provide a food mixer with an improved discharge of the food.
The object is achieved with a food mixer according to the present invention.